The items were handed over to the school children through their local partners for onward distribution to the school children.
The presentation was held at Child-fund The Gambia office conference hall, attended by Country Director, Deputy Permanent Secretary Ministry of Basic and secondary Education, Child-fund local partners Area Managers as well senior Child Fund staff.
Speaking at the event, Musu Kuta Komma the country Director ChildFund said the lights are solely meant to support the education activities of children at home, which is critical in improving the education outcomes for children.
She further said that it is always a pleasure to participate in the activities that improve the under development and protection of the children living in The Gambia, ChildFund the Gambia continues to work with partners especially local partners to improve the wellbeing of the children through different activities and projects that we deliver to the children and their families.
As they continue delivering programs to the children, they ensure that they “reach three main outcomes as children are under five we deliver programs?And support them and their care givers to ensure that they are secured and healthy to be able to celebrate their 5th birthday enjoying as they turn 6 years to 14 years, our emphasis lies on ensuring that they are educated and confident, confidence building matters a lot, so that children will be able to identify signs of abuse and exploitation that is always challenging their development but also children are able to be educated which matters most in their development.”
For his part, the deputy Permanent Secretary of MoBSE Adama Jimba Jobe said the work that ChildFund is doing is “something that MoBSE is very much aware of, am very much appreciative of the support that you are rendering to the children of this country which is our core mandate as a ministry; the provision of learning materials.The support that we are just witnessing talking about provision of light this children not only enhancing or providing them with opportunity to be able to work at home but also making that the environment is safe, you will agree with me that some of us in our houses we don’t have access to light as far as the national team is concerned, the use of candles is becoming a threat “I have seen a lot of disasters coming out on fire or fire outbreak coming because of the use of this candles.Therefore, any substitute for that it is meant for young children is not only assuring but is helping us to alleviating that fear”. “We may have in our children using candle when they are working at home which could been very detrimental to their health and safety and therefore you are also complementing government in making sure that our children are safe.
Also speaking Musa Mbye Board Chairman FDDF also said the gesture could not have that come at a better time than that day since “our children are preparing for WASSSE. Already they are in to their exams as well as to those sitting to NAD exams and grade nine GABECE and also the promotional exams as we are all aware that we are in the third term of the academic year so this solar lights will definitely help our children in terms of their performance.”
